Diabetic living in Brandon speaks out after being denied Disability Tax Credit

With her permission, Maguire shared a letter of correspondence he addressed to Lebouthillier last month, in which he urges the minister to approve Levandoski’s applications.

“I firmly believe she meets the criteria set out in the Income Tax Act and that her doctor is by far the best adjudicator to make that judgement,” he wrote.

“It is my sincere desire to get Kelsey approved for the Disability Tax Credit, but also for the thousands of Canadians who also suffer from type 1 diabetics.”

Any conversation about diabetes would remiss without factoring in the nation’s Indigenous population, whose members are disproportionately impacted by the disease.

Manitoba Métis Federation Southwest Chapter president Leah LaPlante clarified that Indigenous peoples are more impacted by Type 2 diabetes, which does not typically qualify under the Disability Tax Credit, even before the recent CRA shift.

Even so, LaPlante, who has Type 2 diabetes, said “It’s not cheap to have diabetes,” and that she’d happily support those fighting for the credit.